After checking out Balblair 12 Year Old let’s check the second offering in the new Balblair line up which is the 15 Year old.

Balblair 15 Year Old was also matured in american oak (ex-bourbon casks) but then it was finished in first fill Spanish oak (sherry casks) for an unknown time period.

Balblair 15 Year Old (46%, £73.25)

Nose: Not as creamy as the 12 Year Old as the sherry finish must have mitigate some of it, but it’s still soft with sweet fruit marmalade, dried papaya, sweet sour fruitiness and milk chocolate. Gets better and fruitier with time – very enticing.

Palate: Dried fruits, soursweet tropical fruitiness, spices with oak spice and white pepper, a bit of cinnamon and cloves, far drier and spicier than expected from the nose.

Finish: Shorter, lingering soursweet dried fruit and lots of spices, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg as well

Thoughts: A killer Nose with lovely tropical fruit and chocolate. The palate just lags behind a bit but this is still a nice offering although I wished it was £10 cheaper for better VFM.